1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique of editing object data obtained by separating an object from document image data obtained by reading a document.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, along with the digitalization of internal image processing, copying machines have been provided with a rapidly-increasing number of functions. To give examples of basic functions, there is a SEND function of sending a document outside of a copying machine via a network, as well as a copy function of copying a, document and a PDL (page description language) function of printing a document created by a host computer.
In addition to these, the recent copying machines have numerous functions including a BOX function that makes it possible to store a document image created by the copy function or the PDL function in the copying machine and to reuse the stored image, and an edit function, such as combining or binding that uses the document image stored in the copying machine by the BOX function.
On the other hand, users demand a higher image quality, and as a result, to reproduce a document with high precision, the image processing resolution in copying machines keeps increasing from 600 dpi to 1200 dpi, and to 2400 dpi, and the number of signal bits also keeps increasing from 8 bits to 10 bits, and to 12 bits. For this reason, an increase in the costs of devices and an increase in development costs due to the addition of a memory or storage or replacement of a CPU with a higher performance CPU for handling bitmap data for internal processing are now not ignorable.
Under such circumstances, a technique has been developed in which a document read by an image processing apparatus is divided into areas on an object basis, and each of the objects included in the document is converted into data in a format to be described later, and thereafter a user uses an edit function (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-159517). In this example, the objects included in the document are classified according to attributes such as a TEXT, a GRAPHIC, and an IMAGE. The objects having the TEXT or GRAPHIC attribute are vectorized to generate vector data and the objects having the IMAGE attribute are converted into JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) data. The function of editing the thus converted data is provided to the user. In the foregoing technique, the image processing apparatus does not have to handle bitmap data having an extremely large amount of information, that is, bitmap data having high resolution and a large number of bits. Further, by using vector data that can be easily edited and deformed, it is possible to expect a reduction in costs and an improvement in user operability.
One example of an edit function in the document creating apparatus, such as a word processor or the like, is the inputting of image data, such as a photograph and an illustration, into a document using an image reading apparatus, such as an image scanner or the like.
Further, in a case where image data is fetched and placed into the document, the magnification of the image data is specified at the time of pasting (combining) a cut area specified by a user to the document directly. Alternatively, the apparatus automatically enlarges/reduces data according to the size of the document in which the cut area is pasted. This enables the user to perform editing operations through an image input more efficiently in a simple procedure (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-81399 (1993)).
In the aforementioned existing techniques, the read document is divided on an object basis and each of the divided objects is appropriately converted into either vector data or JPEG data, thereby making it possible to improve the operability of an edit function. However, the small UI and the simple operation means in the copying machine do not provide sufficient operability for the user to select an enlargement/reduction ratio and to specify an object size to be pasted every time when the object is pasted. Accordingly, there is a problem in which operability is still inefficient when the user fetches a document image and edits it.